Contributors:
AgentC
dotloop
GryphTech
Realty ONE Group
SkySlope
The Milestone Group
The Profit Centre

By iBroker
goibroker.com
2019

Introduction
At iBroker, we understand the multitude of challenges facing brokerages
today. Recruiting and retaining agents is certainly one of the most important,
given the direct correlation with growth. Successful brokers know that an
effective recruitment and retention strategy is absolutely essential to
realizing their growth potential. While some brokers have the means to
invest heavily in tools, services and systems to support this effort, others
may not be in a position to do so – at least not to the same extent. Instead,
they are constantly on the lookout for cost-effective means to the same
end; but can low cost recruitment strategies be as effective?
We reached out to seven industry experts ranging from business coaches
to recruitment agencies, and asked “What is the most effective recruitment
tactic that doesn’t break the bank?”. We received a number of insightful
tips and four common themes emerged: 1) invest in the right technology,
2) leverage social media, 3) enhance your online presence, and 4) optimize
your value proposition. We hope you’ll find this resource to be valuable when
planning for recruitment.
If you’d like to discuss your unique challenges and how iBroker can help,
please contact us.
Thank you,
The Team at iBroker
goibroker.com/contact-us

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We asked seven industry experts:

“

“

What is the most effective
recruitment tactic
that doesn’t break the bank?

And this is what they said...
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By Aiman Attar
Co-Founder, AGENTC™ Recruitment Bureau Inc.
agentc.com

Aiman Attar, a former
REALTOR®, is the
Co-Founder of AGENTC;
a recruitment agency
specialized in real estate
that understands the
staffing needs of real
estate teams and
brokerages.

Take One Extra Step
to Make Sure Your Real Estate Hires Stick Around
It may seem a step too far for many REALTORS®, but we insist on it because it works!
When we take on a new real estate client to help them with their recruiting and hiring,
we have a process. This process is the same for every client and it has a proven record of
success. There is one step in the process that almost every client resists! We deem it to be
essential to be sure that your hire is going to work out and, more importantly, stick around.
What is this miracle process? It’s a paid onsite assessment.

Interviews Aren’t Enough
While interviews—usually more than one—are essential, they don’t give the full picture of
what a person can do, what they’re about, how they think on their feet, or how they respond
in a crisis situation. An interview can give you the basics of the person you’re considering
hiring, but as the saying goes: the devil’s in the details.

Make the Final Interview an Assessment
Getting to see first hand how your candidate functions in the office, interacts with others, and
deals with situations that come up, is an essential step in determining if they’re going to be
a good fit.
It works both ways too, because while you’re interested in making sure she’s a good fit for
your realty office or real estate team, she is interested in making sure your office is a good
fit for her! The culture of an office is a big reason why people leave jobs and the only way
to truly get a sense of it—is to be a part of it, even for a day.
How does it work? Your candidate will spend the day (or half day) getting paid to actually
work with your team. Treat this day as if it is the person’s first day at work. Give them things
to do. See how they type on the computer, how they answer the phone, how they write an
offer or produce a feature sheet with content. This also gives the candidate an opportunity
to examine how YOU work, how you give instructions, and how organized/disorganized your
office is.

Hiring is Expensive so Skip the Revolving Door
Whether you use the skills of a recruiting agency or go at it alone, hiring is an expensive
proposition and a revolving door ever more so! Finding the candidates, interviewing/testing
them, training them… It all adds up in terms of time and money. Invest the time upfront, so
you can save the costs later. n

It Pays to Train Agents on Tech Tools
Invest in providing high quality training on agent technology tools (even creating your own
shortlist of suggested tech tools), including best practices on how to effectively deploy your
CRM, how to create a content-rich lead generating website, and how to cultivate leads. Doing
so will not only help strengthen your value proposition to prospective agents, but it will also
result in referrals from agents who rave about your leadership in leveraging technology to
build a successful business.

global real estate brands
on how to leverage
technology to excel.

Support Agents with Professional Photography and Video Services
Producing quality photography and video is often frustrating for agents who think they can
go from zero to hero by buying a nice camera or drone and opening up a YouTube account.
Developing skills in photography and videography takes work, and it can be months or even
years before agents are able to produce quality content (if they don’t get discouraged and
quit first!). So consider offering these services as part of your membership fees, or collect a
“premium promotion” fee in exchange for professional listing photos and/or video. Another
consideration is to bring in a local photographer to teach your agents how to take great
listing photos. Photographers will often do this for free in exchange for an opportunity to
sell their services at the end. Not all agents will want to do it themselves, so it’s a win-win.
Photographers win because they will likely get some new business from agents who’d rather
pay a professional, and agents win because they get some expert advice on how to take
great photos of a listing.
Another option is to hire a film student from a local school – they are usually very talented
and motivated to get content for their promo reel so they can start bringing in paid clients.
If you find them through a partnership with a local film school or program you can often pay
very little – minimum wage or a small salary – for the same work established production
companies would charge thousands for! It’s a great deal for them, as they get that real world
experience and it’s a great deal for you because you’ll pay a fraction of what your agents
would pay to do these videos professionally. n

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”

Hiring the best is your most important task.
Steve Jobs
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By Shami Sandhu
Regional Director, Realty ONE Group of Western Canada
realtyone-western.ca

Shami Sandhu is a
former top producing
Broker/Owner and is
now the President and
Regional Director for
Realty ONE Group of
Western Canada.

Social media is the best tool for creating
awareness when recruiting real estate agents.
We have leveraged social media to create an awareness of our company culture, training,
social events, etc. Essentially, we are telling our story: “a day in the life of one of our agents”.
Agents want to belong to an organization that meets their emotional and social needs. It is
easy for someone to figure out the office fees and the tools an office offers. The greatest
unknown and the scariest part is knowing if they will fit in. For many agents it feels a lot like
the first day of school.
The two social media tools that help us most are Facebook and Instagram. These sites
are where you can easily find real estate agents and tell your brokerage’s story with video,
pictures, articles, and links. We focus on video and pictures because they tell the story better
than any narrative. Many of the agents that decided to join my office did so after watching
our Facebook and Instagram pages for months.
This is also where we are finding our own agents are spending their time. In this day, many
agents rarely come into the office themselves. Social media allows us to share with them
what is happening at the office when they aren’t there. This is a big part of the retention plan.
If you can provide a lens into your organization and provide insight on who you are, then you
quickly remove the scariest, and sometimes the hardest, part of selecting a real estate office.
And this makes recruiting new agents and retaining your existing agents that much easier. n

Market Your Online Presence

By dotloop
dotloop.com

Customers aren’t the only prospects canvassing the Internet for brokerages with a strong
marketing presence. Promising agents looking to make their next move are also focusing
attention on your online profile. Make sure you’re using strong SEO keywords in your online
content so when agents and customers search for homes for sale in your community, your
brokerage or team name will pop up on the first page.
One easy way to spread the word quickly is by using the branded communication feature
within dotloop, the industry’s leading transaction management platform. Dotloop is favored
most by admins, agents, team leads and brokerages, and many ask for it by name when
contemplating a move to a new team or brokerage. Brokerages and teams who use dotloop
enjoy the added benefit of branding within document sharing to help build effective word-ofmouth advertising that targets your local agent community. n

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By Tyler Smith
Founder & CEO, SkySlope
skyslope.com

Provide The Best Value Proposition
In the current market, I would definitely leverage social media. On most platforms, you can
specifically target REALTORS® and get in front of them with your value proposition. That said,
I think most brokers are leery and apprehensive of social media.
A somewhat unconventional method would be to take advantage of the data I have available
to me. For instance, if I was using SkySlope, I would call or text every REALTOR® that my
agents get into a deal with. I would introduce myself and let them know I was there to help
get the deal to the finish line. I would also write them a personal note and text them when the
deal closed. And, if I had a better than average commission split, I would text them what they
would have made if they were with my brokerage.

Tyler Smith is a former
top-producing agent who
founded SkySlope, the
leading digital transaction
management software for
brokers and agents.

It’s all about providing the best value proposition to agents. Technology, flexibility, and
commission splits are all assets but fostering relationships and culture will always win when
it comes to attracting talent. n

By Thomas Williams
Founder, The Milestone Group
milestone100.com

Leverage Tech Trends for Recruiting Success
One of the most cost-effective and time-saving recruiting methods is online webinars.
We offer compelling topics such as: “How to get more commission from the buyer/seller?”,
“How do you double the number of your listings in the next 12 months?”, “Top 3 closing
tactics”... and much more. After the webinar, we use an automated email follow-up
process to maintain communication. Automating and pre-recording these webinars ensures
they are available to prospects 24/7. We also use “ChatBots” for even greater candidate
engagement. n

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Thomas E. Williams
has more than 20 years
of industry experience.
Together with his team, he
sold more than 220 million
euro in real estate volume.

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By Peter Mueller
Founder, The Profit Centre
theprofitcentre.com

When Recruiting, Stop Selling Price
Peter Mueller is an
accomplished industry
expert and coach, who

Often when I ask a Broker to role play and try to recruit me as an agent, I find the following
fundamental challenges in their approach:

They do not have an agenda.
They do not ask any (or enough) questions.
They try to tell me too much, which is overwhelming.
They focus on price primarily.
If they discuss value, it is not focused on what I want or how it benefits me.

Put Prospects at Ease with an Agenda
It is important when meeting someone for an appointment that you create an environment
that puts your prospect at ease. An agenda does this. (see sidebar)

About You
USE AN AGENDA
WITH PROSPECTIVE
RECRUITS

Start with learning a lot about what is important to your prospect. Assemble a list of 20+
questions to ask when discussing what is important to them. This is not the time to sell, it
is the time to listen. I would recommend taking notes to demonstrate that you are listening
and genuinely interested.

Here is what I
recommend the
agenda look like:

It is also an opportunity to pinpoint the items of value you offer that will resonate most with
them. Everyone is different and what is very important to you may not be as important to
them. Do not short cut the process by making assumptions.

s s s s s

About You
About Us
Your Value Proposition
Unanswered Questions
Mutual Decision

About Us
There is nothing more powerful than someone speaking clearly and succinctly about their
organization and what their Mission Statement is. Being a powerful leader with clarity of
vision and having a culture of success is very attractive. We can all talk about our values,
however when we practice them on a regular basis it becomes easy to articulate. Consider
focusing on five key values:

1 Honesty. Speaks for itself, however it begs to be addressed that you have zero tolerance
2
3
4
5

for deceit.

Integrity. If you say you are going to do something, follow through with it.
Professionalism. Follow and adhere to the rules of engagement.
Financial Responsibility. You are responsible for your bills and invoices. You are not a bank.
Productivity. Just because you are honest, have integrity, are professional and financially
responsible does not give you a pass on producing results. I would address and articulate
your minimum production standards as one of your core values. This is a dicey area. If
you truly have minimum production standards, what are they?

In the future, should any of these values be compromised, you can always revert back to the
interview at the beginning of the hiring process.

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It takes skill to sell value.
Anybody can sell price.
Peter Mueller

Too many brokerages lack management and
accountability in maintaining productivity. The main
reason for the lack of accountability points to the #1
purpose of a business – to be profitable. If you are not
profitable you cannot fulfill the second purpose of a
business which is leverage. If you are not leveraged,
you will not find the time to promote accountability.
Without accountability we lose control of our intention
to manage a company that maintains the value of
productivity. Without profit or a profitable model, we
cannot serve to the level of our intentions.

Notice how we lead them to giving us the answer?
Review the three suggested questions in the Script
below. For the last question, let’s say the recruit answers
“five transactions”. If the average gross commission
income is $5,000 per end, then we effectively just
quantified our value in just this one area at $25,000.
If this is done effectively, then how can anyone argue
about price? If they want to haggle, then it means only
one of two things:

Your Value Proposition

2 They do not appreciate your value.

Just like a good listing agent, a recruiter needs
a powerful presentation with effective collateral
material to support the value proposition being offered.
Every great listing agent has a powerful presence and
presentation to substantiate the commissions they
charge. The method I advocate in this process is called
“Quantifying Your Points of Distinction.”
If you just rattle off all the benefits of your brand and
office randomly, prospects can become overwhelmed.
The notes you take in the “About You” phase should
allow you to zero in on the items of value you offer
that relates to them. For example, let’s say that during
the “About You” discussion he/she mentioned the
importance of building a business and having an
annual plan. Are you armed with collateral material to
effectively articulate your related method, approach,
and how it will benefit them?

1 You didn’t do a good job on communicating your
value proposition.

We cannot be all things to all people. You need to
be clear about who you want and cater to that target
specifically.

Unanswered Questions
Be sure to ask if there are any questions and take the
time to answer to ensure clarity.

Mutual Decision
The mutual decision goes both ways. Some people want
it all. However, it is important to realize that we should
not be a Cadillac at Chevy prices. We are not all the same.
Do not compete with everyone else even if they share
the same brand. If you do not offer anything unique or
substantial, you will always have to sell price. n

SCRIPT ON QUANTIFYING YOUR POINTS OF DISTINCTION
Would you agree with me that after showing you what we do and how we do it (as per attachment/collateral material)
that we could help you create a detailed business plan?
Is it fair to say that you would generate more transactions annually with that clarity and having the accountability to
it on a regular basis?
How many additional transactions do you think you could generate if you have this?

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Having a presence on social media
is as important today as having
a business card was in the past.
Brian Buffini

iBroker Offers Recruitment Relief
iBroker is the simplified office management solution for real estate. This powerful, easy-to-use and
mobile-friendly software offers much needed relief when it comes to one of the most critical aspects of
operating a brokerage – recruiting talent.
iBroker helps manage the recruiting process from end-to-end by tracking every candidate as they pass
through your process – from initial application through to offer acceptance. By recording every key
engagement and document in your process, you can check on the status of a candidate in seconds. Say
goodbye to sticky notes and spreadsheets. With iBroker, you can be confident no resumé, meeting invite,
or offer letter will be lost again!

iBroker Features

Manage Listing Inventory

Flexible Commission Plans

Track Transactions

Automated Commission Calculations

Record Payments & Deposits

Generate 1099s (U.S.)

Automated Agent Billing

Manage Recruiting

Detailed Office & Franchise Reports

Goal Setting (coming soon)

iBroker integrates with leading software:

Visit goibroker.comgoibroker.com
to learn more or request a demo.

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Thank you
Thank you to our valued contributors:
AgentC
dotloop
Realty ONE Group
SkySlope
The Milestone Group
The Profit Centre